Ban·foot
ploclding: t\l'ain.
Samuel Beckett
Cl('nclll'd ('\('S clamped to cknclw(l staring eYes.
lk
that shade again. In that shade again. \Vith tlll' other ~~
shades. \Vorseninf! : shades. In the dim void.
Next
First how all at once. In that stare. The worsened one. The worsening two. And what \-et to worsen. To tn worsen. Itself. The dim. The void. All at once m that stare. Clenched e\-es clampeu to all.
Next two. From bau to worsen. Tn vvorsen. From merely bad. Add-. Add? l\ever. The boots. Better' worse bootless. Bare heels. Now the two right. Now the two left. Left right left right on. Barefoot unreced ing on. Better worse so. A little better worse than noth mg so.
Next the so-said seat and germ of all. Those hands! That head! That near true ring! Awav. Full face from now. No hands. No face. Skull and stare alone. Scene and seer of all.
On. Stare on. Sayan. Be on. Somehow on. _\. m-ho\\ all. Till dim gone. At long last gone. All at long last
LLLL
gone. For hau ancl all. For poor best worse ancl all.
Dim whence unknown. At all costs unknown. Un changing. Sa\- now unchanging. Far and wide. High
and low. Sa:- a pipe in that void. A tube. Sealed. Then
in that pipe or tube that selfsame dim. Old dim. When
ever what else? Where all alwavs to be seen. Of the
nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Nothing ever unseen. ~•G
Of the nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Worsen that?
~
Next the so-said void. The so-missaid. That narrow field. Rife with shades. Well so-missaid. Shade-ridden void. How better worse so-missa\-?
Acid others. Adcl? Never. Till if needs must. Noth ing to those so far. Dimlv so far. Them onh- lessen.
~
But with thpm as the\- lessen others. As thev worsen. If needs must. Others to lessen. To worsen. Till dim go. At long last go. For worst and all.
112
11. 3
LL. LL l
On. Somehow on. AndlOw on. Sal all gone. So on. . •L
In the skull all gone. All? No. All cannot go. Till dim LL
go. Sa: then but the t\lO gone. In the skull one and two gone. From the void. From the stare. In the skull
L
all save the skull gone. The stare. Alone in the dim
L
void. Alone to be seen. Dimly seen. In the skull the skull alone to be seen. The staring ('\'es. Dimh seen.
L. •
B: the staring e:'es. The others gone. Long sudden gone. Then sudden back. Unchanged. Sal' now un changed. First one. Then two. Or first two. Then one. Or together. Then all again together. The bowed back. The plodding twain. The skull. The stare. All back in the skull together. Unchanged. Stare clamped to all. In the dim void.
The eyes. Time to-
First on back to unsa\' dim can go. Someho\l' on •L
back. Dim cannot go. Dim to go must go for good. e- L L G
True then dim can go. If but for good. One can go not LLL
for good. Two too. Three no if not for good. With dim LL
gone for good. Void no if not for good. With all gone
for goud. Dim can \l"Or,. ;en. Sonll'hu\I' \lorscn. Co no. If nut for guud.
The en's. Tim(' tu tn \lor"en. SonH:'ho\l' tn \Iursen. Gnclench. Sal staring o}wn. . \11 \lhitt' aml pupil. Dim white. \'\hite? 1\0 . . \11 pupil. Dim black lw! t-". U11\la\ cring gaping. Bl' thl'\ ";0 saill. \'\ ith \,ur,. ;eninp: \Iords. From now "0. BdtlT tImn nothing coo lwttlT(,d for tIll'
\I'or,. ;! ' .
Still dill! "till on. 5() long d" ,. ;till dim still somehu\I' on. :\. mho\1 on. \\ ith \l"Or"('ning \I onls. \\'urs('ning "tdre. For tIll' nuthing to lw ,,('('n. . \t thl' nothinp: to be
,wen. Dimh s('('n. A" nU\I })\ \la\ of sUllll'h()\\ on \\"lwre in the nO\llwn' dll together? . \11 three togdlwr. \Vhere there all lhnT a", last \\"()fse "een'? 131)\\Td lJack alone.
Ban·foot ploclding: t\l'ain. Skull and lidll~"s:-;tare. \\hen' in the narrow \'a,. ;t ? Sa: onh \ ash apart. In that narnm
Hlid ya"ts of HJicl apart. \\'ur::ie lwtter later.
\\hat \I,hen \lords gone? 1\ one for \I hat then. But L
sal by \m\ of sOllleho\l' on somehow with sight to do.
114
lIS
With less of sight. Still dim and yet-. No. Nohow so on. Say better worse words gone when nohow on. Still dim and nohow on. All seen and nohow on. What words for what then? None for what then. No words for what when words gone. For what when nohow on. Somehow nohow on.
Worsening words whose unknown. Whence un known. At all costs unknown. Now for to savas worst they may onh tll<'\ only they. Dim void shadl's all
Secretes. Say bettcr w'orse secrett's. What it is tlw
words it secretes sa\. What the so-said void. The so-
said dim. The so-said shades. The so-said scat aml
germ of all. Enough to know no knO\,'ing. No knowing
LLLL
what it is the words it secretes say. No saving. No
•L
saying w,hat it all is they somehow sa\'.
That said on back to try' worse say' the plodcling twain. Preying since last worse said on foresaid re mains. But what not on them preying? What seen?
What said? What of all seen awl said not on them
prey'ing? True. True! And yet say' worst perhaps
worst of all the old man ami child. That shack as last
worse seen. Left riaht left right barefoot unrecedina L' 0 t:'
on. Thev then the words. Back to them now for want of better on and better fail. Worser fail that perhaps of all the least. Least worse failed of all the worse failed shades. Less worse than the bowed back alone. The skull and lillless stare. Though the\' too for worse. But what not for w'orsE', True, True! And \'et sa\' first the
worst perhaps worst of all the old man and child. Worst in need of worse. \l1orst in
they. ~othing SenT \\hat thn sav. Somehow sa\'. i\o
"l
tbing saYt' they. \Vhat tht,\ sa\. Whost'sot'\Tr \\hence-
SOCY\'[ sa\. As worst tlH'V l11<lV fail {'Yt'}' \,'orse [0 sa\',
Remains of mind then still. Enough still. Some \dlOSe somew,hen' somehow enough still. No mind and words? Enon such wonls. So enough still. Just {enough still to jOy. JOy! Just enough still to jO\ that onh the\. Onl\ !
Enough still not to knol\, :\ot to kncm' what the\ sa\. Not tll know what it is tlH' \l'Clrds it says Sa\, Says?
116
117
••"
I
Blanks for nohO\\ OIl. How Ion? :? Blanks Il()\\~ [onf! : till sO))H'ho\l o))? A. gain sOllwhm\ (Jll. ~\11 f! :0lli' \\hen Iloho\l 0)). Time gOllt' \I hen ))ohO\\ Oil.
\Vorsp less. B\- no stretch mon>. \Vorse for want of bett(>r less. Less Iwst. No. Naught Iwst. Best \lor:-w. -'\0. Not best worse. Naught not I)('st \\'(Jrse. Less l)('st \\orse. No. Least. Lf'ast I)('st \lorse. Least 11<'\(T to 1)(' naught. Nt'ver to naught Iw ImJllgbt. :'\('\~('rIJ\ Ililllgllt lw nulled. UnnullalJ! e least. Sa\ that J)('st \lorst. \\ith least('ning \\ orcls sa\ kast I)('st \\ ors('. For \I-ant or \I opwr \I orst. UIlI('ss('nable kast ])('st \\ ors('.
'1'h(, t\lain. The hands. Held holding hands. That
almost rin? : c\. s \\hen first said Oll erippkd hallds l[J(' head. Crippled hallds! The: th('IT tll('n th(' \\on],;. Hen> nO\l 11<'ld holding. c\s when first said. LIlIl1lsaid
Sa\ for now still seen. Dimlv seen. Dim white. Two dim whitt' empt: hands. In til(' dim \~oid.
So leastward on. So long as dim still. Dilll lln~ L
dimn1<'cl. Or dimllwd to dimmer still. To climmost
~
\dlC'1l \nlrse saiel. Away. Held holding hands
~
\Vhat \lords for \Ihat then? Hmr almost thev still ring:. ~\s so))whm\ from some soft of mind tbey ooze. From it in it ooze. H(m all IJlIt ll))inalle. To last llnkss ('nalJl(' kast hm\ loath to kasll'n. For then ill lltlllost dim to lllllltll'r kasllllOst all.
So little \\-orS(' t[w old man and child. Cone hdd holding hands the\ plod apart. Left right IJarefoot lln~ ]'('Ceding Oil. '\ot \lorsell \Tt t[J(' rift. 5(1\(' for SOIll(' afll'r noho\l- sOllH'hm\ \\OrS(T OIL
On bad( to llnSay damped to all tIl(' stan'. No lJUt from Ilm\ to llm\ [llis alld ))0\\ that. \. s Ilm\ froIII
The emph too. A. \\a\. No hands ill th(, . :\0.
for \I~ors(' to sa\. SOllwho\\ \I~or:-w sOllwho\\ to sa\.
1111
11lJ
5,1\~('
dim. Leastmost in clilllmost dim. LJtmost dim. Least most in utmost dill! . Unworse))alJl(' \\'(Jrst.
~
worsl'ned twain to ne"t for worse alone. To skull and stare alone. or the t\\O worse in \\ant the skull preYin~ sinC'I" llnsllnk. No\\ sa\ tlll' fore alone. No dOllle. TI'm plc to temple alOlw. Clamped to it atHl stare alone tbe stare. Bowed hack aloni' and t\l'<lin blurs in the void. So better than nothin~ wors! ' shade tbree from now.
Sonwhow a~ain on back to the bowed back alon(-'. Nothing to shcl\\ a \\Olllan'S and Yet a \\,(llllan's. Ooz(-'d from softening soft the word \\OIlJall's. The words old woman's. The \lords nothing to shO\\ bowed hack alOlH' a WOlllan'S and H't a woman\. So hetttT worse from now that shade a woman's. :\n old \Hlman's.
Next fail see sav how dim llndilllm~dto worsen. Ho\\ nohow save to dimmer still. But hut a shade so as w111-']1 after nohow somehow on to dimmer still. Till dim most dim. Best bad 'worse of all. SavI' somd1Ow un dimmed worser still.
Ooze on back not to unsay but sa, again the vasts apart. Say seen again. No worse again. The vasts of
void apart. Of all so far mis~;aid the \\orSl' missaid. So far. Not till noho\\ wors(-' missav sa\ \\orse ll1issaicl.
Not till for good nohO\\' on poor \\'orst missaicl.
Longing the so-said mind long lost to longing. The
lLLLL
so-missaid. So far so-missaid. Dint of long 1011f! 5n g lost to longing. Long vain longing. And longing still. Faint-
LLLLlLL
h longing still. Faintlv \'ainh' 10n~6ngstill. For fainter
120
121
J
• '-- L
. '
L "
still. For faintest. Faintl, vainlY longing for the l(-'ast
••lL
of longing.
that shade again. In that shade again. \Vith tlll' other ~~
shades. \Vorseninf! : shades. In the dim void.
Next
First how all at once. In that stare. The worsened one. The worsening two. And what \-et to worsen. To tn worsen. Itself. The dim. The void. All at once m that stare. Clenched e\-es clampeu to all.
Next two. From bau to worsen. Tn vvorsen. From merely bad. Add-. Add? l\ever. The boots. Better' worse bootless. Bare heels. Now the two right. Now the two left. Left right left right on. Barefoot unreced ing on. Better worse so. A little better worse than noth mg so.
Next the so-said seat and germ of all. Those hands! That head! That near true ring! Awav. Full face from now. No hands. No face. Skull and stare alone. Scene and seer of all.
On. Stare on. Sayan. Be on. Somehow on. _\. m-ho\\ all. Till dim gone. At long last gone. All at long last
LLLL
gone. For hau ancl all. For poor best worse ancl all.
Dim whence unknown. At all costs unknown. Un changing. Sa\- now unchanging. Far and wide. High
and low. Sa:- a pipe in that void. A tube. Sealed. Then
in that pipe or tube that selfsame dim. Old dim. When
ever what else? Where all alwavs to be seen. Of the
nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Nothing ever unseen. ~•G
Of the nothing to be seen. Dimh- seen. Worsen that?
~
Next the so-said void. The so-missaid. That narrow field. Rife with shades. Well so-missaid. Shade-ridden void. How better worse so-missa\-?
Acid others. Adcl? Never. Till if needs must. Noth ing to those so far. Dimlv so far. Them onh- lessen.
~
But with thpm as the\- lessen others. As thev worsen. If needs must. Others to lessen. To worsen. Till dim go. At long last go. For worst and all.
112
11. 3
LL. LL l
On. Somehow on. AndlOw on. Sal all gone. So on. . •L
In the skull all gone. All? No. All cannot go. Till dim LL
go. Sa: then but the t\lO gone. In the skull one and two gone. From the void. From the stare. In the skull
L
all save the skull gone. The stare. Alone in the dim
L
void. Alone to be seen. Dimly seen. In the skull the skull alone to be seen. The staring ('\'es. Dimh seen.
L. •
B: the staring e:'es. The others gone. Long sudden gone. Then sudden back. Unchanged. Sal' now un changed. First one. Then two. Or first two. Then one. Or together. Then all again together. The bowed back. The plodding twain. The skull. The stare. All back in the skull together. Unchanged. Stare clamped to all. In the dim void.
The eyes. Time to-
First on back to unsa\' dim can go. Someho\l' on •L
back. Dim cannot go. Dim to go must go for good. e- L L G
True then dim can go. If but for good. One can go not LLL
for good. Two too. Three no if not for good. With dim LL
gone for good. Void no if not for good. With all gone
for goud. Dim can \l"Or,. ;en. Sonll'hu\I' \lorscn. Co no. If nut for guud.
The en's. Tim(' tu tn \lor"en. SonH:'ho\l' tn \Iursen. Gnclench. Sal staring o}wn. . \11 \lhitt' aml pupil. Dim white. \'\hite? 1\0 . . \11 pupil. Dim black lw! t-". U11\la\ cring gaping. Bl' thl'\ ";0 saill. \'\ ith \,ur,. ;eninp: \Iords. From now "0. BdtlT tImn nothing coo lwttlT(,d for tIll'
\I'or,. ;! ' .
Still dill! "till on. 5() long d" ,. ;till dim still somehu\I' on. :\. mho\1 on. \\ ith \l"Or"('ning \I onls. \\'urs('ning "tdre. For tIll' nuthing to lw ,,('('n. . \t thl' nothinp: to be
,wen. Dimh s('('n. A" nU\I })\ \la\ of sUllll'h()\\ on \\"lwre in the nO\llwn' dll together? . \11 three togdlwr. \Vhere there all lhnT a", last \\"()fse "een'? 131)\\Td lJack alone.
Ban·foot ploclding: t\l'ain. Skull and lidll~"s:-;tare. \\hen' in the narrow \'a,. ;t ? Sa: onh \ ash apart. In that narnm
Hlid ya"ts of HJicl apart. \\'ur::ie lwtter later.
\\hat \I,hen \lords gone? 1\ one for \I hat then. But L
sal by \m\ of sOllleho\l' on somehow with sight to do.
114
lIS
With less of sight. Still dim and yet-. No. Nohow so on. Say better worse words gone when nohow on. Still dim and nohow on. All seen and nohow on. What words for what then? None for what then. No words for what when words gone. For what when nohow on. Somehow nohow on.
Worsening words whose unknown. Whence un known. At all costs unknown. Now for to savas worst they may onh tll<'\ only they. Dim void shadl's all
Secretes. Say bettcr w'orse secrett's. What it is tlw
words it secretes sa\. What the so-said void. The so-
said dim. The so-said shades. The so-said scat aml
germ of all. Enough to know no knO\,'ing. No knowing
LLLL
what it is the words it secretes say. No saving. No
•L
saying w,hat it all is they somehow sa\'.
That said on back to try' worse say' the plodcling twain. Preying since last worse said on foresaid re mains. But what not on them preying? What seen?
What said? What of all seen awl said not on them
prey'ing? True. True! And yet say' worst perhaps
worst of all the old man ami child. That shack as last
worse seen. Left riaht left right barefoot unrecedina L' 0 t:'
on. Thev then the words. Back to them now for want of better on and better fail. Worser fail that perhaps of all the least. Least worse failed of all the worse failed shades. Less worse than the bowed back alone. The skull and lillless stare. Though the\' too for worse. But what not for w'orsE', True, True! And \'et sa\' first the
worst perhaps worst of all the old man and child. Worst in need of worse. \l1orst in
they. ~othing SenT \\hat thn sav. Somehow sa\'. i\o
"l
tbing saYt' they. \Vhat tht,\ sa\. Whost'sot'\Tr \\hence-
SOCY\'[ sa\. As worst tlH'V l11<lV fail {'Yt'}' \,'orse [0 sa\',
Remains of mind then still. Enough still. Some \dlOSe somew,hen' somehow enough still. No mind and words? Enon such wonls. So enough still. Just {enough still to jOy. JOy! Just enough still to jO\ that onh the\. Onl\ !
Enough still not to knol\, :\ot to kncm' what the\ sa\. Not tll know what it is tlH' \l'Clrds it says Sa\, Says?
116
117
••"
I
Blanks for nohO\\ OIl. How Ion? :? Blanks Il()\\~ [onf! : till sO))H'ho\l o))? A. gain sOllwhm\ (Jll. ~\11 f! :0lli' \\hen Iloho\l 0)). Time gOllt' \I hen ))ohO\\ Oil.
\Vorsp less. B\- no stretch mon>. \Vorse for want of bett(>r less. Less Iwst. No. Naught Iwst. Best \lor:-w. -'\0. Not best worse. Naught not I)('st \\'(Jrse. Less l)('st \\orse. No. Least. Lf'ast I)('st \lorse. Least 11<'\(T to 1)(' naught. Nt'ver to naught Iw ImJllgbt. :'\('\~('rIJ\ Ililllgllt lw nulled. UnnullalJ! e least. Sa\ that J)('st \lorst. \\ith least('ning \\ orcls sa\ kast I)('st \\ ors('. For \I-ant or \I opwr \I orst. UIlI('ss('nable kast ])('st \\ ors('.
'1'h(, t\lain. The hands. Held holding hands. That
almost rin? : c\. s \\hen first said Oll erippkd hallds l[J(' head. Crippled hallds! The: th('IT tll('n th(' \\on],;. Hen> nO\l 11<'ld holding. c\s when first said. LIlIl1lsaid
Sa\ for now still seen. Dimlv seen. Dim white. Two dim whitt' empt: hands. In til(' dim \~oid.
So leastward on. So long as dim still. Dilll lln~ L
dimn1<'cl. Or dimllwd to dimmer still. To climmost
~
\dlC'1l \nlrse saiel. Away. Held holding hands
~
\Vhat \lords for \Ihat then? Hmr almost thev still ring:. ~\s so))whm\ from some soft of mind tbey ooze. From it in it ooze. H(m all IJlIt ll))inalle. To last llnkss ('nalJl(' kast hm\ loath to kasll'n. For then ill lltlllost dim to lllllltll'r kasllllOst all.
So little \\-orS(' t[w old man and child. Cone hdd holding hands the\ plod apart. Left right IJarefoot lln~ ]'('Ceding Oil. '\ot \lorsell \Tt t[J(' rift. 5(1\(' for SOIll(' afll'r noho\l- sOllH'hm\ \\OrS(T OIL
On bad( to llnSay damped to all tIl(' stan'. No lJUt from Ilm\ to llm\ [llis alld ))0\\ that. \. s Ilm\ froIII
The emph too. A. \\a\. No hands ill th(, . :\0.
for \I~ors(' to sa\. SOllwho\\ \I~or:-w sOllwho\\ to sa\.
1111
11lJ
5,1\~('
dim. Leastmost in clilllmost dim. LJtmost dim. Least most in utmost dill! . Unworse))alJl(' \\'(Jrst.
~
worsl'ned twain to ne"t for worse alone. To skull and stare alone. or the t\\O worse in \\ant the skull preYin~ sinC'I" llnsllnk. No\\ sa\ tlll' fore alone. No dOllle. TI'm plc to temple alOlw. Clamped to it atHl stare alone tbe stare. Bowed hack aloni' and t\l'<lin blurs in the void. So better than nothin~ wors! ' shade tbree from now.
Sonwhow a~ain on back to the bowed back alon(-'. Nothing to shcl\\ a \\Olllan'S and Yet a \\,(llllan's. Ooz(-'d from softening soft the word \\OIlJall's. The words old woman's. The \lords nothing to shO\\ bowed hack alOlH' a WOlllan'S and H't a woman\. So hetttT worse from now that shade a woman's. :\n old \Hlman's.
Next fail see sav how dim llndilllm~dto worsen. Ho\\ nohow save to dimmer still. But hut a shade so as w111-']1 after nohow somehow on to dimmer still. Till dim most dim. Best bad 'worse of all. SavI' somd1Ow un dimmed worser still.
Ooze on back not to unsay but sa, again the vasts apart. Say seen again. No worse again. The vasts of
void apart. Of all so far mis~;aid the \\orSl' missaid. So far. Not till noho\\ wors(-' missav sa\ \\orse ll1issaicl.
Not till for good nohO\\' on poor \\'orst missaicl.
Longing the so-said mind long lost to longing. The
lLLLL
so-missaid. So far so-missaid. Dint of long 1011f! 5n g lost to longing. Long vain longing. And longing still. Faint-
LLLLlLL
h longing still. Faintlv \'ainh' 10n~6ngstill. For fainter
120
121
J
• '-- L
. '
L "
still. For faintest. Faintl, vainlY longing for the l(-'ast
••lL
of longing.
